Zero-hours contacts will be illegal in two years
Key provisions, such as a ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts and 'day-one' protections against unfair dismissal, are scheduled to come into full effect in 2027.
Immediate changes upon the Bill's royal assent include the repeal of Conservative-era industrial action restrictions and new protections for striking workers.
Further reforms, including enhanced sick pay, 'day-one' paternity leave, and measures to end 'fire and rehire' practices, are slated for April and October 2026.
The phased approach aims to give businesses ample time to prepare, a move welcomed by business groups, while union leaders urge earlier adoption of the changes and the Conservative opposition criticises the delay.
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Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Migrants could be barred from asylum in Britain under deal with France
Channel migrants could be barred from claiming asylum in the UK under plans for a 'one-in, one-out' returns deal with France. The two countries are preparing to announce a deal where the French take back migrants who have illegally crossed the Channel in small boats, while the UK accepts a similar number of asylum seekers from France. This so-called 'one-in, one-out' agreement is an attempt to break the business model of the people-smuggling gangs by showing that migrants will be returned to France once they reach UK shores. In order to return the migrants to France, however, immigration advisers say that ministers will be required to deny them the right to claim asylum in the UK. It comes as the number of migrants crossing the Channel this year passed the 20,000 mark, a new record for the first half of the year. On Tuesday, the Home Office confirmed 19,982 migrants had arrived by the end of June, 48 per cent higher than the same point last year. One option for returning migrants would be to use the Tories' 2022 Nationality and Borders Act, which allows the Government to declare a Channel migrant's asylum claim inadmissible, specifically when a person has a connection to a safe third country, according to legal experts. This means that the UK could deem a claim inadmissible if the migrant had travelled through France, a safe country to which they could be returned. Under the deal, there would be a parallel process in France where a joint UK-French system would be set up to identify asylum seekers who could come to the UK. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is thought to believe migrants in France with a family connection in the UK should be prioritised. Some experts, however, believe that the process confirming family links could be complex and have suggested it would be more practicable to target migrants from countries with high rates of asylum grants. The scheme is said by sources to be 'evolving' and 'a work in progress', but there are hopes it could be trailed at next week's Anglo-French summit from July 8 to 10, when President Emmanuel Macron comes to London for his state visit. It would be a major breakthrough after Brexit killed off a previous returns agreement with the EU. The Government is proposing to pilot the scheme to iron out any problems. It is unclear how long it could take to declare Channel migrants' asylum claims inadmissible and give them an opportunity to make any appeals against their return. The Tories only removed 23 migrants whose claims were deemed inadmissible. Migrants are likely to be returned to locations across France, away from its northern coasts. Any that tried to re-enter would be identified through their biometric details and sent back once again. The European Commission has contacted the UK because of concerns among other countries, including Italy, Spain and Greece, that the one-in, one-out deal could mean they face an influx of deported migrants. Under the EU's Dublin agreement, migrants can be sent back to the EU country where they first landed. 'We are in contact with the French and the UK authorities to ensure the necessary clarifications are made,' a European Commission spokesman said. France has also agreed to start intercepting migrant 'taxi boats' at sea for the first time after previously refusing to do so for fear of breaching maritime safety laws. The policy change will see elite French police officers authorised to stop boats within 300 metres of shore and is expected to be confirmed at the summit. Two major resettlement routes that brought Afghan refugees to the UK are to be closed, the Government announced on Tuesday. More than 30,000 Afghans have been brought to the UK, but charities warned that it closed a 'lifeline' to thousands more who could seek to flee the Taliban. 'Four years on from the Taliban takeover, people in Afghanistan are still in need of protection, and this sudden closure comes with no clear plan for people at real risk and in need of safety,' said Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council.
Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Starmer drops plans to restrict alcohol adverts after industry outcry
Sir Keir Starmer has dropped plans for a ban on alcohol advertising after warnings from the US that it would jeopardise his all-important trade deal with Donald Trump. US drinks companies complained that a ban would amount to a non-tariff trade barrier with America, while the £40 billion UK alcohol industry said it would mean a loss of investment and cancelled sports sponsorships. Proposals for restrictions on alcohol advertising and marketing were originally included in the 10-year plan for the NHS, which is expected to be unveiled this week. But The Telegraph has learnt that the plans have now been stripped out of the document, which will contain no mention of any changes to the rules on alcohol advertising, marketing or sponsorship. It is the latest in a series of climbdowns by the Government, which have included an about-turn over the winter fuel payment cut and huge concessions over cuts to disability benefits. Instead of a ban, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, is expected to concentrate on educating the public about the health harms that can result from drinking too much. The news will be greeted with relief by not just the drinks industry, but also sports, advertising and other sectors that rely on drinks marketing for revenue. One industry source said: 'A ban never made sense and so this decision is welcomed. 'We're happy to see the Government continuing to support a special and vitally important sector of industry that is a British success story around the globe. 'The British drinks industry makes and innovates some of the best alcohol products in the world, and the Government deserves credit for recognising its importance. 'This decision not to restrict advertising, marketing or sponsorship by alcohol brands, together with the recently agreed trade deal with India that will help UK drinks brands prosper, shows what smart, pro-growth policy can deliver.' Restrictions on alcohol advertising were championed by Mr Streeting, despite the fact that there is little evidence that a marketing ban would have any marked impact on alcohol abuse. US firms had complained that restrictions on marketing would make it impossible for them to break into the UK market with new brands, giving an advantage to established UK brands which would have broken the terms of Sir Keir's trade deal with President Trump. The office of the US trade representative was gearing up to formally raise the matter with the Government if any form of ban was contained in the 10-year plan. The shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith had described proposals for a ban as 'recklessly short-sighted.' Whitehall sources said the 10-year plan would contain proposals to help prevent harmful alcohol use, but they would be in line with Mr Streeting's 'nudge not nanny' approach that he has talked about in relation to healthy eating. On Sunday he said that he would be working with supermarkets to 'make the healthy choice the easy choice' which, he said, did not amount to nanny statism but would nudge the public into making better decisions about their health. In the past the Government has paid for public information campaigns encouraging moderate drinking rather than binge drinking. A Government spokesman said: 'The 10-year health plan will not include a ban on alcohol advertising. 'We'll always back our food and drink sector and, in our recent deal with India, slashed tariffs for a variety of iconic products, including whisky and gin.'
Reuters
34 minutes ago
- Reuters
Morning Bid: Markets sit tight for trade progress
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Ankur Banerjee Markets shrugged off the U.S. Senate passing President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill", with investor attention fixed to the path for U.S. interest rates and trade deals ahead of the United States' re-imposition of tariffs on July 9. Trump's tirade against the Federal Reserve and its Chair Jerome Powell to lower rates has stoked investor worries of the central bank's independence and credibility. It has also led to traders pricing in the possibility of early rate cuts. But Powell, at a central bank gathering in Portugal, reiterated that the Fed plans to "wait and learn more" about the impact of tariffs on inflation before lowering interest rates. That, along with relatively upbeat labour data on Tuesday, has left investors none the wiser about when the Fed would cut rates and watching out for Thursday's nonfarm payrolls data for cues. European stocks are set for a slightly higher open after a mixed Asian session, where Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.75% whereas Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI), opens new tab gained 0.75%. Trump's tax bill, which will add to the already enormous U.S. debt pile, slash taxes, reduce social safety net programs and boost military and immigration enforcement spending, now heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval. Meanwhile, with the July 9 tariff day creeping closer, countries are scrambling to agree trade deals with the U.S. India is likely ink a deal whereas Japan is not, Trump said. All that has left markets in flux as we head into the second half of the year. The first half was dominated by relentless U.S. dollar selling as investors grappled with Trump's chaotic trade policies and looked for alternative places to park their money. The euro has had a blistering 2025 so far gaining 14% and perched at its highest level since September 2021, but whether it could replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency of choice is an open question. Central bankers gathered for an annual conference in the Portuguese resort of Sintra do not expect a major challenge to the dollar's status any time soon. "It's not going to happen just like that overnight. It never did historically," said European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. "But there is clearly something that has been broken. Whether it is fixable, or whether it is going to continue to be broken - I think the jury's out." Key developments that could influence markets on Wednesday: Economic events: Euro zone unemployment rate for May, trade deal updates Trying to keep up with the latest tariff news? Our new daily news digest offers a rundown of the top market-moving headlines impacting global trade. Sign up for Tariff Watch here.
